barndollar



g- 30, 1955 c. M. BARNDOLLAR 2,716,239

BODY GARMENT Filed Aug. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

C'OQA M- SAENDOLLA 1? zr m (em WAOWZ Aug. 30, 1955 c. M. BARNDOLLAR BODY GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14, 1953 COQA M- BAENDOLLAQ 47 aleNEY United States Patent BODY GARIVIENT Cora M. Barndollar, Boulder Creek, Calif. Application August 14, 1953, Serial No. 374,319

1 Claim. (Cl. 269.5)

This invention relates to apparel, and more particularly to a body garment adapted to enwrap a convalescent while he is in a chair.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a unitary garment which may be placed upon a body support such as a wheel chair, the patient then assisted into the chair and the garment enwrapped about the patients body to keep the patient warm and comfortable.

It is a further object of this invention to have the garment provided with slide fastener closure means so that the garment will form an envelope for the patients body, there being no loose edges to be caught by the Wheels of the chair, or to drag on the ground or to allow drafts of air to reach the patients body.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a body garment for attachment to a chair of the lounge type such as would be found on the deck of a ship, wherein the person desiring to enwrap himself in the garment can easily do so without requiring the assistance of an attendant, and in addition will be assured of full body protection.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, forming the specification, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the body garment embodying this invention as secured to a wheel chair and enwrapping a patient;

Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the foot portion of the garment;

Figure 3 is a partial perspective view showing the manner in which the closure means is applied to the garment;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the blanks of material comprising the garment and shown in their relative position one to the other; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the blanks of material of Figure 4 showing the lines of fold and the relative position of the blanks of material prior to being secured together to form the garment.

The body garment of this invention, which may be of any suitable fabric, is in the form of an elongated, rectangular envelope and is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10. The envelope or body garment is adapted to overlie a chair, such as wheel chair 12. Chair 12 comprises a back rest 14, a seat 16 and a foot rest 18. The envelope 10 includes a flap 70 and a body 11, the latter consists of a substantial portion of the elongated rectangular back panel 20 which in turn is divided into a back rest section 22, a seat 24, an apron or leg section 26 and a foot rest portion 28 by transverse lines of fold 23, and 27 respectively; and a pair of identical, but oppositely disposed, side panels 30 and 32 secured along opposite longitudinal edges 48 and 52 of the back panel 20 as by the lines of stitching 29 and 29'.

The back panel in the form of an elongated rectangle has the previously mentioned longitudinal edges 48 and 52 and top and bottom transverse edges 34 and 36 respectively. The bottom edge 36 is also the lower transice verse edge of the foot rest section 28. That portion of the back panel 20 which extends longitudinally of the panel 20 from a transverse plane between the upper end of the lines of stitching 29 and 29 to the top edge 34 form the flap 70 which will extend above the body of the envelope 10.

Since the side panels 30 and 32 are identical, the panel 30 will be described in detail and parts on the side panel 32 will be identified by primed numerals to indicate the corresponding parts on the side panel 30.

Side panel 30 is of elongated, rectangular form and is divided longitudinally by a fold line 37, and is transversely divided into upper, intermediate and lower sections 38, 44 and 46 respectively by spaced lines of fold 39 and 43 intermediate the upper edge 40 and the lower edge 47 of the panel 30. The opposite longitudinal edges of the panel 30 are identified by reference numerals 42 and 60 respectively. The edge 42 is stitched to the edge 48 of the panel 20 as indicated by the line of stitching 29 and the panels are coextensive from a point intermediate the top edge 34 and fold line 23 on the back panel to terminate at the fold line 27 which forms the juncture of the foot rest section 28 and the leg section or apron 26.

The fold lines 39 and 43 are in transverse alignment with fold lines 23 and 25 respectively of the back panel 20. That portion of the fold line 29 extending from the longitudinal fold line 37 to the longitudinal edge 42 is cut so thatthe garment or envelope 18 may be folded as shown in Figure 5. The portion of the fold line 43 extending between the fold line 37 and edge 42 is branched into two angularly disposed lines of fold 45 and 4511 which can be formed into a neat mitered edge as illustrated at 45b in Figure 5.

The side panel 32 is similarly constructed and secured to the panel 20. The longitudinal portion defined by the line 37 and the edge 42 of side panel 38 and the corresponding portion between the line 37 and the edge 42' of panel 32, when secured to the back panel iwill form the side portion of the body 11 of the envelope 10. While the remaining longitudinal portion in the side panels defined by the line 37 and edge 60 in panel 30 and the line 37' and edge 60' in panel 32 will form the top of the body 11.

A square of material is sewn to the upper and intermediate sections 38 and 44 along edge 42 to occupy and fill the space between said sections left by the line of cut 41 as the side panels are creased by fold lines 37, 39 and 43 to assume the form shown in Figure 5.

Side panels 30 are sewn to the back panel 20 to join the respective longitudinal edges 42 and 48 by the line of stitching 29. The side panel 32 is similarly secured to the back panel adjoining respective longitudinal edges 42 and 52. The joined back and side panels are folded about the previously described lines of fold to conform to the configuration of the chair back, seat and foot rest of the chair 12 and adapted to lie over the same. The squares of material 50 will be sewed on adjacent sides to the edges provided by the out line 41 and on the opposite two adjacent sides to the portions of the back rest portion 22 and seat portion 24 forming a corner 54 along the line of fold 23.

It should be noted, as previously pointed out, that the side panels 30 and 32 are sewn to the back panel 20 along opposite longitudinal edges from a point intermediate the ends of the back panel section 22 and extending to the line of fold 27. The portion of the back rest section 22 extending from the points of attachment of the side panels to the top 34 of the back panel may be considered a flap to which tapes 56 and 58 are secured adjacent the top thereof for attachment to adjacent the top of back rest 14 of chair 12.

The garment now comprises a back panel 20 joined in 32 respectively. That portion of the side panel to the right of fold line 37 as viewed in Figure 4 provides a side for the garment while that longitudinal portion to the left of fold line 37 forms one-half'of the top or front.

of the garment. The garment is open along its front, top' and bottom. f

To closethe front, a long slide fastener 64 is provided along the mating longitudinal free edges 60 and 62 onv panels 30 and 32 respectively, and extending the entire length thereof. A pair of short slide fasteners 65 and 66 are provided in the foot portion, generally indicated by 68 (Figure 2). The 'fastener 65 is secured along the adjoining edges 47 and 36 and extends only half-way across the width of the panel 'while the fastener 66 is secured along the edges 47 and 36 extending across the upper half of the width of the panel 20. The fasteners are sewn on a strip of material 72 which in turn is secured by stitching 74 adjacent the respective garment edges and the mating slide fastener elements are secured as by stitching 76 to the respective edges that have been folded upon themselvesas illustrated in Figure 3. This prevents any of the metal of the fastener from coming into contact with the body of the person enwrappe'd in the garment. In use the hereinbefore garment is placed over a chair upon which it is to be used, the back rest, seat, and foot rest portions overlying the corresponding portions of the chair. The slide fasteners are opened and the patient assisted into the chair, the slide fasteners are then closed so that the legs and trunk of the patients body and securely and comfortably enwrapped therein.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the elongated panels when joined by stitching enclosed by the slide fastenersv provided in the body 11' of an envelope 10 of elongated shape and which is provided with a top flap 70 adapted for attachment to the back of a chain; The

closure means, slide fasteners 64, 65 and 66 are carried by the body portion and may be opened to any degree desired to permit more or less warmth for the person using the garment.

Itwill also be seen that the back of the legs of the patient will be protected. The patient may also bebodily lifted out of the chair without removing the garment.

This is a great improvement over the usual blanket wraparounds which must come apart when the patient is to be moved, restrict bodily movement of the patient when wrapped therein since excessive movement will'cause the blanket to become unfolded and the loose ends of the blanket may drag on the ground or be caught in the wheels of the chair when the blanket comes apart.

' Also, if so desired, the person may slip into the body portion of the envelope, join the slide fasteners himself and be perfectly comfortable without requiring the assistance of another person in order to be enwrapped in the. protective body garment.

Aspreviously stated, the body garment or blanket may be made of any suitable fabric material including cotton .7 v 4 and wool, but preferably wool as the textile fabric material'. Aninner lining, or a fleecy padding may be applied to the foot rest portion or may be omitted as desired.

While there are shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention,- it is to be understood that the structure is susceptible to change and modification within the practicability of the invention and therefore should be limited only by'thescope of the claim appended hereto. 7

What is claimed is:

A body garment for enw-rapping: the trunk and legs of a person, comprising an elongated back panel, transverse lines of fold dividing said back panel into successive back rest, seat, apron and foot. rest, sections; each of said sections adapted to overlie the corresponding portions of a chair, a pair of identical but oppositely disposed side panels joined to said back panel along longitudinal edges, each side panel having a longitudinal line of fold to divide said' panel into a side and top portion of said garment, transverse lines of fold in eachof said side panels to divide said side panel into upper, intermediate and lower sections; said upper, intermediate and lower sections being coextensivewith said'back rest, seat'and apronsections of said panel; eachof said side panels having a line of cut extending along the transverse line of fold between said upper and intermediate sections from the longitudinal edge thereof secured to said back panel to said longitudinal line" of fold to form a corner permitting folding of said side panels along the transverse lines of fold, and a' piece of material secured to each of said panels along adjacent edges of the corner defined-by the line of cut, the longitudinal edges of said side panels oppositeto the longitudinal edges joined to said back panel being provided withseparable fasteningmeans; a second separable fastener means carried by the lower edge of the lower section of one side panel and the lower edge of saidfoot rest porti'on'respecti'vely and extending par-' tially about said body' section; a third separable fastening means carried by the lower edge of the other of said side panels and the lower edge of said foot rest section respectively extending partially across said body garment and terminating adjacent the termination of said second separable fastening means; atop flap carried by said back panel, and means carried by said flap to secure the garment to the back rest of the chair.

References Cited in the file of, this'patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS 560,961 Zimmerman May 26, 1896 704,276 Sorensen July 8, 1902 751,452 Bird Feb. 9,, 1904 2,060,092 Lucas Nov. 10, 1936 2 ,481,741 Graves Sept. 13, 1949 2,656,540 Stephenson Oct. 27, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 638,726. Great'Britain. June 14, 1950 

